GEARS OF WAR FAN ART

Project overview

Gears of War fan art.
Having been a massive fan of the franchise, I was eager to get started on this project.
I wanted to create something that stayed true to the original games’ colour palette and core characters, and would be immediately recognised by fans of the game.

I began by exploring what I wanted the focal point to be. The characters play a significant role in Gears of War, particularly the relationship between Marcus and Dom as brothers-in-arms, so I knew they had to be the main focus. Along with this, the Lancer (weapon) is iconic to the game.

I also wanted to play around with the directional light beams known as the Hammer of Dawn, using lines as a way to draw the viewer’s eye into the painting.

In the first design, I played around with containing the characters within the COG silhouette.
COG (Coalition of Ordered Governments). I liked the overall colour palette but felt as though there wasn’t enough action. Gears of War is known for its violence and absolute carnage.

In the second design, I tried to encompass many different elements. Using the Lancer as a silhouette standing upright in the middle, I was able to position characters on either side. By positioning the Hammer of Dawn light beams in the middle, I was able to reinforce the focal point.

I then decided to make use of negative space for two reasons: firstly, so that the design didn’t feel too crowded, and secondly, to show the contrast of silhouettes in the background.

The third design was a simplified version of the first, focusing solely on Marcus and having a clear contrast between good and evil.

I also played around with a sketch containing key characters and enemies in an action-packed composition, but ultimately I decided to go with my second design, as I felt it had the most potential.

For this project, I wanted to challenge myself. In previous work, I’ve only worked on the cover art; this time, I wanted to create artwork not only for the cover, but also for the menu screen and the back of the game case.

The main challenge with this piece was the sheer amount of detail included. I worked on and off between other projects, so the whole illustration took a couple of months.

I did time myself, and the whole project came to 67 hours.

My favourite part of the painting has to be Marcus. I love how the colours turned out, and the different red and blue glows really stand out for me.